EPISODE FOUR TRANSCRIPT - THE BUTTERFLIES ON THE CONCRETE PODCAST: WHAT GOT ME THROUGH THE WEEK?

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Welcome to the Butterflies On The Concrete Podcast: What Got Me Through The Week? Without a doubt, the person who got me through this week is Lizzo! She released a new album on July 15th and I seriously love it so much that I want to talk about it. I also want to discuss a couple of her other songs from her previous album as well. Any songwriting credit information that’s mentioned in this episode was found on Genius.com.

In her interview with Zane Lowe for her newest album, Special, Lizzo talked about her song, ‘Soulmate,’ from her album Cuz I Love You, which was released in 2019, being written from a place of who she wanted to be, not where she was emotionally at the time. I highly recommend that interview, it’s on Lizzo’s YouTube channel, titled ‘Zane Lowe and Apple Music ‘Special’ Interview.’ She goes on to say that her new album, Special, is indicative of who she is right now, and her fully embracing the person she’s become.

I first started listening to Lizzo when her album Cuz I Love You came out, and I love everything that she represents. Her loving herself and being who she is unapologetically is truly inspiring to see, and it makes me want to love who I am, too. With regard to the album, Cuz I Love You, I think the songs ‘Juice’ and ‘Truth Hurts’ are so fun, and the title song, of course, is great, but I mostly want to talk about the songs ‘Like A Girl’ and ‘Soulmate.’ Those are my favorite songs from that album and it’s because they’re so empowering.

For the song, ‘Like A Girl,’ I don’t think I need to go too deep into the fact that we live in a patriarchal society where women still aren’t treated as equals, and that’s not even factoring in other marginalized lived experiences like being a woman of color in a society where some still think diversity is a trend instead of viewing it as something normal and good and an essential part of our country’s progress. But in a society that is like that, I just love how Lizzo and the other songwriters, Oak and Sean Thomas, turn the phrase “you throw like a girl,” a phrase that usually indicates something bad, to something that’s good. It feels as if the song’s message is - this is how wonderful and awesome women are, and if you can’t see that you’re misinformed and missing out.

The song ‘Soulmate,’ resonates with me because I’m in my thirties and I’m not sure if I’ll ever get married, so the idea that you can be your own soulmate is so powerful.  I’ve watched so many romantic comedies over the years - I mean, I still watch them and enjoy them even now- but now that I’m older, I’m very much aware of the fact that relationships aren’t like rom coms in real life at all. That’s why we need rom coms in the first place, because if we could experience it easily firsthand, we wouldn’t be reading about it or watching it, we’d be living it. But in so many different forms of media we’re constantly told that marriage is THE happy ending, the ultimate destination on your journey. I’ve recently started wondering, though, is it really something I actually want or is it just something that I’ve been conditioned by society to hope for? Of course, I’m always happy to see people when they’re happily married, I acknowledge and respect that it can be an option, because the idea of it is so beautiful, but it certainly isn’t the only option.  Happily Ever After, isn’t just one thing. What constitutes happiness very much depends on the person.

It's hard enough to love yourself, let alone another person who you go on dates with regularly but may never fully know. Self-love should be easy to obtain, but it’s not. Sometimes you think you’re okay and you’re confident in who you are up until you go out into the world and the positive attributes you see aren’t acknowledged, or are dismissed by others as insignificant, or irrelevant. Some people might think that they don’t have to respect you, or be kind to you, or that you aren’t inherently worthy just because you’re human, because they can’t benefit from who you are in some way, or because they listen to other people’s opinions about you instead of finding out the truth for themselves. They might misunderstand you or judge you. Even in some homes, you may have to live with someone who criticizes you for what can feel like no reason at all, just so that they can feel better about themselves. All of those external factors can disrupt how you feel about yourself. And that doesn’t even factor in how harmful it can be to compare yourself and your journey to someone else’s.  Because of all of this, it’s really remarkable that a song like ‘Soulmate’ exists.

Honestly, I love Lizzo’s music, not just because she’s insanely talented, but because she radiates positivity like 99% of the time. She advocates for self love and self acceptance in a world that is harsh and judgmental over so many superficial things.

I’ve been listening to her newest album, Special, all week. I absolutely loved it. I didn’t have to skip any songs. I’ve just been listening to it all the way through nonstop since it was released. All of the songs are incredible, but if I had to pick favorites, my top songs from it are: ‘The Sign,’ ‘About Damn Time,’ ‘2 Be Loved,’ ‘If You Love Me’ and ‘Special,’ the title track.

The Sign is just the perfect way to open the album, it’s so fun. And ‘About Damn Time’ is the song of the summer for real. Feel good music, where if you’re having a bad day it can uplift you, is truly Lizzo’s specialty. And I love her for that. I’ve been stressed this week, and when I listened to her music, I felt so much better. It’s like medicine, truly. It heals.

‘2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)’ is another feel good song, meaning it has a great beat and makes you want to dance. It also though, in its lyrics, reflects the complicated, and conflicting emotions someone can feel when they’re looking for love, or when they’re on the cusp of being in it. Knowing they’re whole and more than enough on their own, but still wanting to experience love, and be with someone else. Or, having to really do some inner work, attempting to do it anyway, so they can figure out if they actually want to take those steps towards what they say they want. It’s a hit song, I think. Very relatable. I hope that she’ll make it a single, too.

‘If You Love Me’ starts off with lyrics that are just so authentic. The opening lyrics are just like words written in a diary. Part of me could see this as a first dance song at a wedding, honestly. Full disclosure, I don’t know much about love. But, I do know that – at least in theory - marriage is supposed to be all about like being in a partnership,  and accepting another person for all that they are, and growing with them over time, and that’s what this song seems to be asking for. That no matter what, a partner should accept you for who you are fully. And if they can’t do that, which isn’t easy, I’m sure, but if they aren’t even willing to try, you might start to wonder, is this relationship really an example of what love is supposed to be? Of course, accepting someone for who they are doesn’t mean that you ignore red flags, or that you should be a doormat and let someone treat you poorly, I’m definitely not saying that. I just mean that within healthy boundaries and behaviors, I think ideally, there should be acceptance of who someone is. For example, my love for someone shouldn’t stop just because my partner gains weight. I don’t want a love that’s surface level, or superficial.

Lastly, I first heard the song ‘Special’ when Lizzo performed it on Saturday Night Live earlier this year. I hoped it would be released as a single right after I heard it. Maybe it’s sad to say this, or embarrassing, but when I hear the words of that song I can’t help but cry. I don’t know Lizzo, I’ll probably never meet her, or be able to speak with her, but even so… hearing those words from her in a song is so immensely comforting. I’ve cried several times listening to this song. And I’m so grateful that she and her fellow songwriters, Theron Thomas, Daoud, Max Martin, Ian Kirkpatrick and Pop Wansel, wrote it.

In conclusion, the arts matter.  Music and tv shows, and films, might seem extraneous to some. But to other people, they’re the kind or sobering words we need to hear during difficult moments, or the joyous or emotional scenes we need to see to help get us through a rough day or difficult season of our lives. This episode is simply a way for me to celebrate Lizzo right now, because her music is everything.

Thank you so much for listening to this episode! I truly hope you take the time to listen to Lizzo’s new album, Special, it’s definitely worth checking out!! If you’ve listened to it, please let me know what songs you enjoy the most and why.

Also, if anyone is listening to this and would like to share what got them through the week, please comment on this episode’s post on our Instagram page WhatGotMeThroughTheWeek, or by email at whatgotmethroughpodcast@gmail.com.  The transcript and audio for this episode will be posted on HyssopandEbony.com.

Until next time!